Rafa Lopez Espinosa serves as the Chief Operating Officer for Global Equities at Citadel, based in New York. With over two decades of global leadership experience, he is known for his ability to build and scale businesses, execute complex transformations, and develop high-performance teams. At Citadel, he collaborates with the Global Equities leadership team to ensure operational excellence and execute growth strategies.
Before joining Citadel in 2025, Rafa had a significant tenure at Point72, where he held various senior roles. As COO for International Business, he managed 11 offices across EMEA and APAC, overseeing operations for over 1,000 employees. He also launched and expanded the Point72 office in Warsaw during the pandemic and led the Paris office through rapid growth.
Rafa’s career began in management consulting at the Boston Consulting Group, where he advised major financial services and healthcare clients. His educational background includes an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business and an MSc in Electrical Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Madrid.
Fluent in four languages, Rafa has worked in major global cities and is actively involved in philanthropy. His expertise spans hedge funds, alternative investments, and corporate strategy, consistently delivering results in competitive environments.
